Balloting of union members at the BBC on conditions of service has left the unions weakened. Already thereare rumours of impending derecognition. As of 5 Oc tober, BBC management has imposed its conditions of service, Members ofthe NUJ voted by a narrow margin of 54 to 46 per cent to reict the conditions of service on a notably low turThe union's leadership is not regarding the result as a ballot for across-the-board industrial Only three out of 60 NUJ chapels in the BBC unequivocally voted for action. Caversham (BBC Meton, NUI The three in Monitoring), Bush House (BBC World Service) and TV Centre, are all large chapels. Many chapels which accepted the conditions are small in membership.
Constituencies
In the main BBC union, BECTU, members were balloted in six 'constituencies', working conditions. Three constituencies actually accepted the BBC's conditions.
Two rejested the conditions hut did not sanction strike ac tion, although they did vote to take solidarity action should workers be victimised for rejecting the conditions.
Only one constittency voted to reject the conditions and then went on to vote for strikeaction.
Demoralised
At a time when many union activists are demoralised with this picture of national gloom, it is vital that socialists in the BBC unions build on what kial suc cesses there have been. ment have been forced to backdown over the issue of Repetitive Strain Injury.
Tagging
They have also been forced to climb down on the question of This is a categorisation of output from BBC Monitoring required by the government instigation management had attempted to permanent feature o work. They backed down after NUl members refused to cooperate. Women, war and resistance Ireland and the Middle East A day of discussion for women on campaigning for peace and Speakers include: Bernadette McAliskey; Reem Abdelhadi; Haifa Zangana (Iraqi Women in Exile); Camilla Power (Women's Peace Vigil); Nihal Aktas (Patriotic Women's Union of Kurdistan) at London Women's Centre, Wesley House, 4 Wild Court, off Kingsway, London WC2B Saturday 26 October, 11am Organised by Women against War in the Gulf and Women in the Troops Out Movement No. 9 Oct. 12, 1991 Page 15
socialist POLL TAX